Grey Marsh
by Jester of Fortune
Summary: Travelling to help a small village in the middle of a harsh winter does not go as expected for Arthur and Merlin and leads to a horrific encounter which they may not survive. No slash.
1. Introduction

**A/N: Rating: I've gone for M to be on the safe side, since there are some things that might bother some people. ** _I've lowered this to T, since there are no 'suggestions of adult-themes' - just whump.__  
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**This has not been beta'd so any mistakes are mine. Hopefully, there should not be many since I have gone over this many times. So, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: BBC owns everything, I own nothing.**

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**Introduction:**

It was one of the harshest winters in living memory, snow lay thick and heavy across the whole of the country and the temperature was so cold that people could not leave their houses for more than a few minutes at a time. The very young and the very old suffered the most and there had been some deaths caused by the extreme cold. In an attempt to save the poor in the lower town, Arthur had opened the palace itself and offered shelter to any and all who would come. The result was that most of the city was now crammed into the palace, making it confined and rather messy but the sheer mass of bodies kept the temperature up and each citizen had brought whatever food or wood they had and added it to the general stockpile. It was not the most pleasant way to pass the winter but it kept all of Camelot's citizens safe and in relatively good health.

The king also sent out riders to most of the outlying villages to see how his people further afield faired. Most of the riders returned with news of suffering and loss, whilst others returned having been unable to reach their destinations, even the warmest clothing and covering the horses only helped so far before the cold was too much. Winter was always a difficult time for the common people, food was scarce and any wood had to be rationed since good, dry wood took time to produce. It bothered Arthur that whilst he could help the people closest to the citadel, the villages that lay further out were basically on their own. He charged taxes so that they could be protected but when they needed protection from anything but violence he was unable to do anything.

Putting the issue to the Council (after the council chambers had been cleared of families and bedding), Arthur asked for suggestions only to be met with blank looks from most of the noblemen sat at the table.

"Sire, I am unsure as to what you expect us to say," began Ewan of Chester, "you have already done more than you needed to by allowing peasants to live in the palace. It is unfortunate but this is the way of things. Commoners die during the winter months." His words encouraged hesitant nods from several of the other councillors.

"So you don't think there's anything wrong with taking these people's food and furs as tax and then abandoning them when such things may have saved them?" Arthur demanded.

Ewan frowned in confusion. "It is your right to take those taxes, my Lord."

"It is not my right to sit here enjoying the warmth of a good fire and hot food when my people are dying!" Arthur growled. "Some of the villages are too far out to reach, as much as it pains me, there is nothing more I can do for them. Those villages closer though I will do whatever it takes to help them."

"What are you thinking, Sire?" Leon asked.

"We will split the knights into groups and send carts and horses with them to gather as many people as possible and bring them back here."

"My Lord, you cannot be serious!" Ewan exclaimed, "The palace is already overrun with peasants, where will we fit more?"

"I do not care, Ewan," replied Arthur dangerously, "if I end up with five families living in my chambers! We will find space!"

And so it was decided. A day later all the knights were sent to any villages that could still be reached with carts and horses to collect any who could be found.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Chapters should start getting longer after this.**

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**Chapter 1**

Arthur decided he would head to the village of Grey Marsh, since that was the only village where the rider he had sent had not returned. Merlin pointed out to him that there was probably a fairly obvious, if unpleasant, reason for this but the king was adamant Grey Marsh was not so far to the north that it was unreachable. So reluctantly Merlin had packed his master's bag and saddled the appropriate horses for the journey. He also made sure that Arthur's winter clothing was in good order. Thick woollen shirts, warm socks and a heavy cloak lined with fur were the only protection against the biting cold. The servant was a little concerned about the weather since he actually had no proper winter gear but he wore both his shirts and jacket underneath his newer, slightly thicker jacket. He felt a little foolish wearing his ceremonial jacket day-to-day, after all he had not worn it since Arthur and Gwen's wedding, but it was significantly better quality than the rest of his wardrobe so it was the obvious (and only) choice. Gauis gave him a pair of gloves and warned him of the dangers of something called frostbite; it sounded horrific and Merlin resolved to pack another couple of blankets.

When he arrived at Arthur and Gwen's chambers, the queen was already up and out, while the king was sat, wearing his chainmail and plate armour, writing at his desk.

"Everything is packed and ready," Merlin said, pulling out Arthur's thick cloak from the wardrobe. "The knights are waiting for you."

Arthur nodded and stood up, allowing his servant to place the warm cloak over his shoulders and fix it in place. "Good. Hand me my sword will you." Merlin did as bade and ignored the fact that Arthur seemed to be assessing him. "You're not planing on wearing just that are you?" Arthur demanded.

"Er, yes," replied the young servant patronisingly, "these are all the clothes I own, Arthur."

"You do realise you're going to freeze to death don't you, you idiot?" said the king, cuffing his manservant around the head, before walking over to his wardrobe and pulling out his spare winter cloak and throwing it in Merlin's face. "Put that on."

The workmanship and the quality of the fur were obvious and beyond anything that Merlin had ever worn and frankly, he felt a bit out of place with such a well-made object hanging over his shoulders, he was after all, just a servant and it seemed a bit wrong to be wearing his master's things. That said, it was also the warmest thing he'd ever worn and he was not about to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Still, such a rare act of kindness and selflessness from the king was not to be ignored.

"I didn't know you had such a caring side, Sire," he said grinning, ready to duck any flying objects, "did you hit your head when you got up this morning?"

"Shut up, Merlin." Arthur responded, roughly shoving him towards the door, "For some reason, Gwen is fond of you and it really wouldn't do to upset my wife by telling her you were dead because you're too much of an idiot to own any decent clothes."

Bickering and shoving, the king corralled his servant out the room and out to the stables.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: So as promised, a longer chapter! This story is pretty much written, so I'll be able to update fairly regularly. My thanks to the people who have Alerted and _heather03nmg_ for her review - hopefully the story won't disappoint!**

**Also, just a warning: whump ahead!**

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**Chapter 2**

The village of Grey Marsh was about two and a half to three days ride from Camelot. Small and compact, with only about twenty-five inhabitants all told, it lay in the mouth of a valley to the north of the kingdom, and was good land for growing wheat. Shivering and cold the small troop of five men broke free of the tree-line and looked down the sweeping hill to the small bumps in the snow that indicated the village buildings. There was no movement, no smoke and the pristine whiteness of the snow remained undisturbed where it fell.

An uncomfortable crawling sensation worked its way up Merlin's spine as he looked at Grey Marsh. There was something terribly unnatural about the absolute stillness of the place. Looking at his companions he was unsurprised to that none of them seemed to be bothered by the same feeling. Knights. Even the clever ones were as dense as planks of wood.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said to Gwaine, "it doesn't look like anyone's home."

"I'm not sure I really care what your opinion is," responded Oswald, before Gwaine had a chance to reply. Not for the first time, Merlin decided he really did not like Sir Oswald. He was an arrogant, pompous arse and for some reason had taken offence to Merlin's very existence, which of course, just made the warlock try harder to annoy him.

"Arthur, we can see there's no one down there," Merlin said, turning to his friend, knowing it would irritate Oswald that he had used the king's name, "why don't we just turn back?" A quick glance at the offending knight, revealed a thunderous expression and more colour in his cheeks than there had been since they left the safety and warmth of Camelot.

"I want to find out what's happened to them." Arthur replied, oblivious to the mischief of his servant or the anger of his knight. "Anyway, it'll be dark soon. We might as well take what shelter we can there and make for Camelot at first light." His mind made up, the king kicked his heels back and started easing his horse down the hill.

Gwaine, Oswald and Marcus followed close behind, leaving the young servant looking down at the settlement apprehensively. He really did not want to go down there but could not and would not abandon his friends. So reluctantly he reined his horse's head about and followed the four knights. The crawling sensation got more intense the closer he rode, so that by the time they reached the very outskirts of the village his stomach was rolling violently and his head was throbbing furiously. Quickly he reined his horse in and dismounted, staring at the seemingly innocent buildings and trying to work out what exactly was making this place so _wrong_.

"Stop being a girl, Merlin." Arthur called as he rode ahead, the smirk on his face evident in his voice. "We won't let anything get you."

"I might," growled Oswald as he reached down and grabbed the servant by the scruff of the neck and dragged him towards the town, unconcerned by the hands desperately trying to pry his grip open.

With a final rough shove, Merlin went sprawling over the village boundary and landed face first in the cold snow. Spitting out snow he looked about nervously, both relieved and disturbed to realise that having passed over the village boundary, the unpleasant sick feeling and headache were gone. He doubted it was a good sign.

Gwaine jumped down next to him and pulled him to his feet, brushing snow from his shoulders. "You all right, Merlin?"

Scrubbing snow from his face, Merlin nodded. "My face is cold."

"Well, I can't say as I'm surprised there." The dark haired knight walked over to Arthur and engaged in a quick conversation which to Merlin's dismay involved pointing at him several times and evaluating glances from both knight and king.

"Oswald, Marcus, make a quick sweep of the closest hut. I want somewhere we can shelter for the night," ordered Arthur, pointing to the hut he wanted inspected. "After that we'll all take a look at the rest of the village, see if there's anyone alive here."

Both knights quickly moved to obey their king and headed in the direction of the hut. As he passed by, Arthur grabbed Oswald's arm and said something quietly into his ear. Merlin was too far away to hear what was said but Gwaine grinned and nodded happily at whatever was said, Oswald pulled his arm free, fury etched on his features and stalked off after Marcus. Moments later both knights re-appeared and confirmed the house to be empty and safe.

"Get a fire started, Merlin." Arthur ordered. "I want the horses bedded down and some food ready. Oswald, the horses are your job."

Thankfully, Merlin's face was starting to go numb so the grin threatening to make its way onto his face never materialised but judging by the look Oswald shot him, it really didn't make any difference. Mentally shrugging, Merlin headed towards the hut, glad he would have the opportunity not only to get out the cold but also get a fire going, even if he wasn't overly happy at the thought of being left by himself. His face really was very numb now and Gaius' warnings about frostbite still rung in his ears. Arthur followed him inside and made a big show of investigating various items on the table.

"Weren't you the one who warned us all about the dangers of getting our skin wet?" he asked nonchalantly. "Whilst I would usually be wary of telling anyone to follow your advice, maybe you should be a little more careful."

Merlin piled some thankfully dry wood in the fireplace and pulled out his flint. Sharp words regarding Oswald desperately tried to escape him but he clamped down on the urge to insult the hulking oaf and focused on trying to get the kindling to light.

"Oh and Merlin?" the king said as he opened to the door to leave, "Don't go back outside until you're warm." Quickly, Arthur stepped out and pulled the door closed behind him.

A few quiet words later there was a hot, roaring fire going in the small hut and a grinning servant warming his hands.

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Darkness fell quickly and after only about five minutes Oswald returned, shivering and stamping his feet, he made his way over to the fire and none to gently toed Merlin from his place by the fire and sat down, holding his hands up to to warm them. Shoving down the frustration that rose within him, Merlin moved as far away as he could and set about making dinner, thoughts of various magical forms of revenge running though his head. Toads were always amusing.

The rest of the knights came back in a few moments later, Arthur and Marcus making a beeline for the fire while Gwaine came over to Merlin and inspected the soup he was preparing.

"Looks good, mate," Gwaine said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I'm starving."

"It shouldn't take long once I get it on the fire." Merlin assured him. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing. Not a squeak."

"Don't you think that's a bit strange?"

"Well, you know me," shrugged Gwaine, "best not to dwell." He chuckled and went to join his fellows by the fire.

Later, after everyone had eaten and warmed up, Arthur took first watch and ordered everyone else to get some rest. Warm and full, Merlin was able to put the oddness of Grey Marsh out of his mind and drop off to sleep, although he woke when Arthur nudged Oswald to take second watch and again sometime later when the burly knight opened the door and went outside.

Over the years he had developed a healthy suspicion of people sneaking around and got up, wrapping his borrowed cloak around him and following the errant knight. The cold wind slammed into him the moment his stepped out of the warm comfort of the house and it nearly took his breath away. Not even the thick fur of his cloak diminished the icy blast and snow whipped about his face, stinging his skin. A snowstorm had developed overnight and he and Oswald had blundered right into it. The sensible thing to do would turn around and head back to the safety of the fire, wake Arthur, tell him what had happened and go looking for the knight tomorrow when the storm died down and they could see their hands in front of their faces. Except Merlin had never been an overly sensible person and he really wanted to know what Oswald was doing.

Setting off towards the centre of the village, he tried to look for any tracks in the snow but not only was the visibility terrible but the wind and falling snow filled in any indentations, even his own tracks were already gone. Pressing on he finally came to another hut, again there was no evidence of Oswald, or anyone for that matter, but by now his face and ears were burning from the ice and he was shivering badly. The hut was more inviting than standing out in the snow so he opened the door and peered into the inky blackness, blinking several times to remove the snow from his eyelashes.

"Leoht," he muttered, holding out his hand. Light infused the house, revealing it to be empty but with a healthy stock of fire wood by the dark fireplace. Merlin went in and closed the door behind him. It was very strange that in the middle of such a harsh winter that were was so much good wood left unburned. By now most households had exhausted their supply but here in Grey Marsh it was like the populace had never really been affected by the weather but clearly winter had come to the hamlet just as badly as it had the rest of the kingdom.

A scraping on the door made him jump and back into the room, one hand still holding his light and the other ready to defend himself if necessary. The door swung open and a dark figure stood unmoving in the doorway. A cold malevolence rolled off it in waves and the sick crawling sensation that had gripped him on his way to the village was back with a vengance. The figure seemed to ponder the warlock for a few moments then held out an open hand, palm up before it suddenly curled its hand into a fist and the light he was holding was extinguished. Panic flooded through the warlock as he desperately tried to call the light back but where his magic should have been there was nothing, just an unnatural emptiness.

The figure loomed over him and even in the darkness, Merlin could see its baleful eyes, full of malicious intent. "Hmm, fresh meat," it whispered in his ear, running a finger down his cheek. "Maybe I should have a little taste?" it chuckled. Long sharp talons slid from its fingers and shredded through the thick cloak, the three shirts Merlin wore and the flesh of his right shoulder. Crying out in pain, he swung his left fist at the creature's head, it was surprisingly good punch and caught the thing hard on the jaw.

"A fighter, hmm?" it laughed, "Most amusing. Do not worry, little one, I wish to sample the other morsels before killing you." Suddenly it grasped his arm and head in a vice-like grip, its talons digging into his flesh painfully, and sunk its teeth into his exposed shoulder. White-hot agony poured through Merlin's system and he howled in pain. Even as he struggled to free himself from his tormentor's grip, there was a terrible ripping sound and creature lifted its head, warm blood dripping from its maw. It released him with an approving growl and his legs gave out with the pain.

As suddenly as it came, the creature disappeared and Merlin felt his magic flood through him once more, instinctively pushing the pain back to a more manageable level. He dragged himself across the room, shivering with cold and fear, and lit the fire with a glance before the darkness pushing at his vision overwhelmed him and unconsciousness swept him away.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: OK. Wow. Thank you all for the alerts / favourites! Also, thank you **_LadySarah14_**, **_Ash9_**_,_ **_krimsondelamber_**, and the **_anonymous __reviewers_**_ f_or your reviews_ - _I really appreciate them! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far and think I'm keeping everyone in character.**

**Disclaimer: BBC owns everything, I own nothing. Zip.**

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**Chapter 3**

The first tendrils of light were illuminating the horizon when Arthur was shaken awake by Gwaine, concern obvious in his eyes and voice.

"Merlin and Oswald are gone." Gwaine said. Arthur sat up and looked around the room quickly. "Marcus says Oswald never woke him up for his watch last night."

"They can't have gone far," Arthur said, standing up and pulling his cloak on. "Let's split up and look for them."

Without further ado, the three nobles were out the door and set off looking for their missing companions. The snow was significantly deeper that it had been when they had gone to sleep the previous evening and a sliver of concern wormed its way into Arthur's stomach, if either his knight or servant had been out in this weather all night then they would likely be dead. There were no tracks or any evidence to show where either of them might have gone but as he looked around he saw a thin trail of smoke rising from the chimney of one of the huts close to the centre of the village. It was a obvious place to start and gave him hope that, having got lost in the storm, Merlin and Oswald had sheltered in the first hut they found. Although why on earth they had gone out in a storm was something that he intended on finding out. That and quite possibly banging their heads together.

Shoving open the door of the house with more force than really necessary, Arthur stomped inside hoping to shock whoever was sleeping awake but what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. There was a pool of dried blood on the floor in front of him, with drag marks leading away from it to a heap in front of a slowly dying fire. Despite the bloodstains, Arthur recognised his own cloak and the dark, matted hair sticking out from under it and that galvanised him into action. In two long strides, he was across the room and on his knees next to his friend.

"Merlin!" He rolled his servant onto his back, eliciting a moan from the younger man. There were various scratches and cuts across his face and neck but the worse wound was a terrible gaping hole in his shoulder that, to Arthur's untrained eye, looked like a bite. Despite the amount of blood covering the floor and Merlin, the wound itself seemed to no longer be bleeding, which was strange but something he was grateful for - if it had kept bleeding then the chances were that Merlin would have been dead by now. Ignoring the uncomfortable emotion that thought caused, he wrapped his borrowed cloak more tightly around his servant and picked him up effortlessly, kicking the door off its hinges in his hurry to get back to the relative safety of the other hut.

Gwaine, Marcus and Oswald intercepted him on his way back and Arthur allowed Gwaine to take the unconscious man from his arms. He watched the dark-haired knight until he disappeared inside the hut before turning back to Oswald sharply and grabbing him by the front of his cloak.

"Where the hell were you?" he demanded.

"I thought I heard a noise when I was on watch last night, so I went out to investigate it." Oswald shrugged, "There was a snowstorm and I couldn't find my way back. I ended up sleeping in that shack." He jerked his head in the direction of one of the small buildings.

"And Merlin?"

"Was asleep when I last saw him."

"It looks like he was mauled by an animal - you didn't hear anything?"

"Not a thing," Oswald replied. "Glad it didn't come after me - it would have been difficult to spot in the dark."

Arthur clamped down on the urge to punch his own knight and shoved the man away. "You two carry on looking around this God-forsaken place and see if you can find whatever did this to Merlin." Both knights gave slight bows and turned away.

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"How's he doing?" Arthur asked dropping down next to Gwaine.

"Not good," the knight admitted. "Does that look like a bite to you?"

"Yes, that's what I thought. We need to patch him up and get back to Camelot as soon as possible. Whatever happened here, we missed it." Arthur patted his unconscious friend's cheek slightly. "Merlin! Merlin, you lazy, good-for-nothing waste of space! Wake up!"

Gwaine busied himself with cleaning the various wounds and cutting up a blanket to make some bandages while his king affectionately insulted his insensible servant. Between the two of them, they tightly bandaged up the bite and strapped Merlin's arm down, all the while Arthur kept up a near-constant stream of insults. Finally, the injured man opened eyes and groaned before gasping and trying to push himself off the floor. His two friends pushed him back down, assuring him he was safe but he continued to fight them, pushing them away with all his strength. With an agonised howl, he flung himself forward and both Arthur and Gwaine were sent flying across the room. Freed from restraint, Merlin began to drag himself towards the door.

"What was that?" Arthur exclaimed, picking himself up.

"I have no idea," Gwaine responded, "I didn't know he had that kind of strength in him!"

Arthur shook his head and bounded over to his prone servant, who was still desperately trying to make for the exit. "For God's sake, Merlin," he yelled, placing a restraining hand on the terrified man's uninjured shoulder, "stop being such an idiot! _Mer_lin!"

Finally the young man stopped fighting and focused on Arthur's face. "Arthur?"

"Yes. Now would you lie still? You're going to tear your shoulder open again!"

"Arthur, we have to get out of here!" Merlin said frantically. "Something's here. We have to go now!"

The sheer panic in Merlin's voice surprised the king. For all he berated his servant for being a coward, he was actually quite brave and had faced things which would have scared most men senseless. Whatever had attacked him had truly terrified him. Then again, suffering a vicious animal attack alone in a storm would be enough to scare even the most stout of heart.

"Don't worry, we're going," he soothed. "As soon as Oswald and Marcus get back, we're leaving."

"Come on, mate," Gwaine said, gently lifting Merlin to his feet and depositing him on a nearby stool. "Rest here while I pack all this up."

Pretty much every instinct told Arthur to interrogate his servant further, find out what attacked him and why he'd left the group in the first place but looking at his pale tormented face, trying to stay conscious and aware, Arthur couldn't bring himself to do it. Right now, his friend needed rest and medical attention - there would be plenty of time to figure out exactly what happened when they got back to Camelot.

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Marcus and Oswald returned shortly after and reported they had found nothing of interest in or near the location of the attack. The knights gathered up their belongings and Arthur slung his servant's good arm over his shoulder and the group headed to the shed were the horses were bedded down. Merlin glanced over his shoulder, nervously looking at the dwelling where he had been attacked. He wanted to get away from this place as quickly as possible. Whatever that creature was, it was evil and had rendered his magic useless without so much as a word.

Gwaine reached the edge of the village first but his horse stopped suddenly and refused to move. He dismounted, holding out his hand in mid air and sliding it from side to side in front of him. "I think we have a problem!" he called over his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked exasperated.

"Try and walk past me," the knight challenged.

"Really now is not the time for one of your jokes, Gwaine," said Arthur disapprovingly but nonetheless he dismounted and went to brush past his knight. It was like walking into a stone wall. "What is that?"

Merlin slowly climbed off his own horse and stood on wobbly legs, running his hand over the invisible barrier. It was created by powerful magic, running deep underground and high into the sky but he could not sense a source. Most barriers had to have a source from which the magic they were created from flowed but this barrier just seemed to exist. They would not be leaving this place any time soon.

"It's magic," he said quietly.

"How do you know?" Arthur asked.

"Umm, I read about this sort of thing in a book once." With hurried impertinence, eager to distract the king and the knights attention from his knowledge of magic he continued, "You do know what a book is, right?"

Arthur frowned at his tone but seemed to accept his explanation. "Does your book say how we get past it?"

"No."

"Of course not," Arthur sighed. "All right. Gwaine, stay here with Merlin. The rest of you split up and see if you can find the end of this thing."

"There won't be an end," Merlin stated firmly. "These sorts of barriers are designed to keep living things in."

That was of course the big question. Was it to keep them, or the creature that attacked him last night, in? Either way they needed to come up with a plan quickly before it came back and as much as he did not relish the prospect, he needed to tell Arthur exactly what had happened to him. It was the only way they could be prepared.

"Listen, Merlin, books can be useful but there's got to be a way out of here."

"I'm telling you there won't be. Watch!" He picked up a pebble and threw it in front of him. It travelled a decent distance and hit the ground well outside the village. "Living things are trapped here but other objects can pass through freely."

"Great. That's...great. Fine, back to the hut."

"Surely we're not actually going to listen to this moron?" Oswald demanded.

Marcus placed a restraining hand on his companion's arm. "He's Gaius' ward, Oswald. He's more likely to know about this stuff than we are."

"He's a simpleton," retorted the large knight.

"That's enough, Oswald," growled Arthur. "I really don't care what your opinion is on this matter. I give the orders and and I said: Back to the hut."

The three knights did as commanded and Arthur followed slowly behind with Merlin. "Something really bad happened here, Arthur."

"Like last night?"

Slowly Merlin told his master about the events of the previous night, leaving out the parts involving his magic, as they made their way back inside.

"You're sure?" Arthur asked dubiously when he was finished. "It was dark and -"

"I didn't imagine it, Arthur! It spoke to me! It bit a chunk out of my shoulder!" Merlin emphasised his point by pointing to the bandages, causing Arthur to wince in disgust.

"Easy, Merlin," Gwaine said, pushing a cup of water into the warlock's hand, "no-one's saying you made it up."

"I am," grumbled Oswald from the corner.

"I am not an idiot. I didn't imagine it. I did not make it up." Merlin said quietly but firmly, staring at a spot on the floor. "I know I'm just a servant but I swear to you, that is what happened!"

Arthur looked at him seriously for a moment then nodded decisively. "I believe you. What do we do about it?"

Merlin looked up from the floor sharply, realising the king was speaking to him. "You're asking me?" he said incredulously. At the older man's nod, he shook his head. "I have no idea."


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Once again, thank you all for the alerts and favourites! Thanks especially to **LadySarah14, Lady Willamina, serial blogger, **and** annonymous reviewer **who took the time review and let me know what you think so far! A couple of you asked me some questions which I believe might be answered in this chapter... Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the BBC do.**

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**Chapter 4**

There was a small cluster of buildings on the other side a short wooden bridge at the far side of the village, it was the one place they had yet to search and in the absence of the possibility of immediate escape, Arthur reasoned that they might as well look for the creature. After all, if the barrier preventing them leaving was magical in nature, and this creature was magical as well, it was a fair guess that if they killed it, then the barrier would be destroyed and they could leave.

Merlin was not totally convinced by this reasoning but it wasn't like they had many choices so he let Gwaine sling his arm over his shoulders and follow the others out. As they crossed the bridge, something started to tug at him from the largest of the buildings, which was the village barn. It was not an unpleasant sensation but it was unsettling. He pulled his arm from Gwaine's shoulders and walked over to the barn, the pull of whatever was inside getting stronger with each step.

"What have you got?" Gwaine asked, following his friend.

"There's something in there," Merlin replied quietly.

"Let's have a look then," said Gwaine with his usual exuberance, pushing open the door and going in. Merlin was about to follow when the dark-haired knight burst back through the door, looking completely shaken. He stumbled a few paces away and bent over trying to take deep breaths.

"Gwaine?"

"They're...they're all in there," the knight said shakily. Merlin straightened his shoulders and put his hand on the door, he did not relish facing whatever had unnerved his normally laid-back and courageous friend, but there was still something calling to him and it could not be ignored.

"Merlin! What are you doing?" Gwaine asked suddenly. "You don't want to go in there!"

Ignoring his friend's outburst, the warlock pushed the door open and stepped in to the icy dimness of the barn. Sunlight shone through various cracks and gaps in the walls and the small windows set into the thatch, but despite the gloomy interior, the horror hidden within the barn was plain to see. It looked like every single inhabitant of the village had been stored here for a long while, judging by the thin covering of ice, and terrible wounds covered each and every one. He pulled eyes away from the monstrous sight and set about looking for whatever was creating the pull. Behind him, the door swung open again and Gwaine stepped back inside, his eyes skittering over the pile of dead villagers, as he made his way to Merlin's side.

"What are we looking for?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Merlin replied. "But I'll know it when I see it."

Taking a few hesitant steps towards the terrible mess of bodies, Merlin felt nausea rise within him as his feet started to slip slightly on the icy blood covering the floor. He was about to turn away when he saw a small ornately carved wooden box half hidden beneath a piece of familiar-looking blood-soaked cloth. Here was the rider Arthur had sent out discover the fate of the village. Carefully making his way over to the box, keeping his gaze firmly away from the bodies, he could tell this was the source of the strange tugging sensation. Grabbing the box, he made a hasty retreat from the barn and both he and Gwaine sucked in relieved lung-fulls of cold fresh air.

"What have you got?" Arthur asked, appearing next to the pair with Marcus and Oswald in tow.

"We, er, found the villagers," Gwaine responded, nodding at the barn. "Merlin's creature must have got to them."

Arthur disappeared inside the barn and returned almost immediately, seemly undisturbed by the terrible sight but Merlin could tell from the tightening of his jaw he was furious at the violence perpetrated on his own people.

"I found this in there," Merlin said, holding out the small box.

Arthur took it, turned it over a few times and handed it back. "It's a box," he decreed.

Merlin sighed to himself. Arthur was a great king and his best friend but occasionally he wished the blond had been blessed with slightly more in the brain department. It was indeed a box but there were intricate words carved into the top that were difficult to miss and even though the king couldn't be expected to understand the words, since it was the language of the Old Religion, he should have noticed them.

"Look," he said, tapping his finger against the carvings.

"Am I supposed to understand these?" Arthur asked dubiously, looking at the words more closely.

"Not unless you know the language of the Old Religion."

Arthur's hand dropped to this hilt of his sword and he took an automatic step back. "Magic?"

"Not the box itself," Merlin lied. "From what I can make out, it's a warning." That was actually a bit of an understatement. The words warned that the box contained an abominable evil from beyond the Veil and to open it would be to condemn all those close to the box to a terrible fate. But Merlin could not give that much detail without revealing he had more than a passing knowledge of the forbidden language. Although judging by the dangerous frown on the young king's face, he might have done that anyway.

"You three, go back and make sure the fire is still going." Arthur waited until the three knights were out of earshot, then turned on his servant, controlled anger in every word. "How do you know what this says?"

"I don't," Merlin said nervously, "I just recognise one or two words."

"One or two words, too many!"

"Gaius has books - "

"Those kind of books are illegal!"

"Those books have saved your life a hundred times over!" Merlin shouted, shocking his master into silence. "They are _words_, Arthur, nothing more. I don't know the language, I just recognise some words."

Arthur stared at him for a few minutes before grasping Merlin's good arm and throwing it over his shoulders. "Come on, you idiot. It looks like I'm going to have to find you more chores when we get back home. It's the only way to keep you out of trouble."

* * *

Darkness and morale fell at approximately the same time and after dinner each of the companions settled down for the night, Marcus and Oswald taking first watch. Sleep did not come quickly or easily for any of them, except Gwaine, who having got over the initial shock of what he had seen in the barn, was back to his relaxed self. Merlin wasn't sure if he wanted to sleep at all, knowing that the creature responsible for the burning ache in his shoulder was still out there but in the end, exhaustion pulled him into a deep sleep.

He awoke sometime later, a crawling feeling worming its way from his stomach to his throat and some survival instinct told him to lie still and take in his surroundings though barely open eyes. The first thing he saw was Oswald, with an unpleasant smirk on his face, standing over Marcus, whose neck was at an unnatural angle, his eyes open and unseeing. His magic built within him ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting knight, when suddenly it was gone.

"No, no, no, little one," the creature whispered in his ear, "that would spoil things."

In the dim light provided by the fire, he could see the grotesque features of the beast for the first time. Once it had been a man but the bones of the face had shifted and changed forming a sort of canine muzzle, the mutation causing the now leathery jet black skin to split and hang loosely and a pair of dark red eyes pierced the unnatural darkness surrounding the thing.

The creature dragged to Merlin to his feet, wrapping its arm around him, effectively trapping the young sorcerer against its body. Merlin's head throbbed painfully and his shoulder burned but he struggled futilely against his captor, desperately trying to grasp onto his magic. The deeper he searched for it though, the emptier he felt. His struggles created enough noise to wake both Arthur and Gwaine, who were on their feet weapons in hand within seconds.

Arthur growled his servant's name and took a threatening step towards the monstrous thing holding his friend.

A long, sharp talon caressed Merlin's neck. "Stop now, little morsel," hissed the creature, "or your pet here will die."

"Let him go!" ordered Arthur.

The creature just chuckled and Oswald, who had been keeping to himself in the shadow of the door, brought the hilt of his sword down sharply on the back of Gwaine's head. The dark-haired knight crumpled under the blow and Arthur swung round to face his traitorous knight.

"Oswald, what are you doing?" the king exclaimed.

The large knight said nothing, just continued to smirk and watch the creature with glazed eyes.

"Take him to the store," the creature ordered, "I'll come for him later."

Oblivious to the combined 'No!' of both Merlin and Arthur, Oswald slid his hands under the unconscious knight's armpits and heaved him over his shoulder, trudging out the door and into the dark.

"And so, here we are, little morsels," the creature said. "How I have been looking forward to this meal. A king is always a special appetiser."

Arthur brandished his sword. "I don't think so."

"No? But your little pet cannot help you, and you alone can do nothing to me," it sunk it's talon into Merlin's neck until blood welled up and it drew a deep breath as if enjoying a fine vintage. "Even now, with your power suppressed, I can smell the raw magic flowing through your blood. Once I have tasted your master, then it will be your flesh that gives me the power to shatter the bonds holding me here."

Merlin stomach lurched at the creature's words. Of all the times he had imagined Arthur finding out about his magic, he had never imagined it would be carelessly revealed by someone else. That he would be caught using it, that he would finally decide to tell Arthur the truth, perhaps, but not just dropped into conversation while he was held hostage. He met Arthur's eyes, trying to convey some sort of apology but Arthur refused to look at him, instead focusing on his captor.

"Time to be on," the creature hissed, shoving Merlin to the ground and flinging its arm at the king. The blond went flying across the room, hitting the wall with bone-crunching force and sliding to the floor. To his credit, Arthur lost neither consciousness nor his sword and frantically tried to push his way back to his feet but the creature gave him no opportunity to do so. It strode over to him and, with another careless sweep of its talons, sent him crashing through the door of the hut, which splintered and shattered under the impact.

Merlin pushed himself up painfully and grabbed a nearby sword, plunging it deep into the creature's leg. It howled with pain and anger, batting him away with its talons. They caught him across the chest and he yelled in pain as they sliced through clothes and skin, scrapping on the bone beneath. He landed heavily in the cold snow next to his dazed master but did not wait for the creature to remove the blade from its leg, pushing himself up painfully and helping Arthur to his feet.

"Run!" He gasped, shoving Arthur towards the centre of the village. Without a moment's pause, Arthur, sword still in one hand, grasped the back of his collar and together they stumbled away.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heh, sorry for the cliff hanger last chapter! I would promise not to do it again but that would be a lie ;) Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, 9 for one chapter! Very happy so thank you **bluespiritgal, Solar07, CoolBeans100, lordstarlight, Hiphuggers2, MerlinFan1996, serial blogger, natcel**, and **anonymous** for your very kind reviews! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, BBC owns it all.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Servant and master threw themselves behind a pig pen, panting heavily. Merlin gasped as the movement jarred the fresh lacerations on his chest. Arthur winced with every breath and coughed wetly, wiping blood from his lips.

"So, you have magic," the king said conversationally, wrapping his arm around his ribs.

"Yeah." Merlin nodded, now unable to summon any really fear at hearing those words from Arthur, somehow it just didn't seem that important under the circumstances. He shifted over, despite the burning agony stabbing through him, and tried to investigate bloody mess of Arthur's side. His master batted his hand away impatiently.

"Why didn't you use it?"

"Because the creature took it away," Merlin sighed, slapping away Arthur's hands as he tried to check the fresh wounds on his servant's chest.

"For goodness' sake, Merlin! What is the point of having magic if the first creature you come across can just turn it off?"

"If only this _was_ the first time I've saved your royal behind," he muttered.

"You? Save me?" Arthur huffed with amusement, wincing again and wiping away more blood, "That settles it, you're officially my Court Jester." He pressed his hand to the gash on his side, turning his hand over and staring at his own blood dispassionately. "I don't suppose you have any idea how to kill it?"

"I was thinking of running at it with your sword actually," Merlin replied, prodding his own wounds and being vaguely surprised to discover they were no longer bleeding.

"My sword?" Arthur hissed incredulously. "That's your plan?"

"Well, it was forged in a dragon's breath, so it's more up to the job right now than I am," retorted Merlin.

"You gave me a _magic_ sword?"

"No. I showed you a magic sword in a stone; _you_ pulled it out."

"Merlin!" The young king's tone seemed to imply if they weren't in imminent danger, he would have thrown something at his servant.

"Morsels! No point in running!" the creature called from somewhere to their left. "Where will you go? Come now, little king, give me your pet and I promise I'll spare you."

"I wish he'd stop calling me your 'pet'," Merlin grumbled.

Hefting his sword, Arthur looked over at his companion. "My sword? Seriously?" Merlin grinned at him weakly and nodded. "All right then." He was about to push himself up when Merlin placed at restraining hand on his arm.

"No, let me. I'll distract him."

Arthur held his gaze for a moment, nodding slowly but Merlin was sure he saw a flash of concern in his master's eyes and despite everything he couldn't help but think that maybe this hadn't been such a bad way for Arthur to find out about his magic. As he prepared to jump out from their hiding place, Arthur gripped his shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"Merlin...Gwen will be devastated if you die out there, so...don't, understand?"

He gave Arthur his best confident grin and flung himself up and out into the middle of the path, yelling at the top of his battered lungs. The creature swung round at his voice and came at him with surprising speed so he turned on his heel and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. Unfortunately, that was not particular fast, nor was running one of his strong points at the best of times, and within moments he caught his foot on a loose rock and went sprawling. White spots flashed across his vision as pain flared through his chest and shoulder. He had no time to pick himself up before the creature yanked him to his feet by his throat.

"Time to die, little sorcerer," it hissed.

"I don't think so," stated Arthur, plunging his sword into its neck. The creature howled and dropped Merlin, swinging its arm in an arch that sent Arthur flying into another wall. Merlin watched in aguish as he landed in a heap, twitched once and went still. In that terrible moment he knew his best friend was dead and something snapped inside him, whatever had bound his magic shattered in the face of his grief and fury. Power exploded from him with such force that the creature was knocked off its feet and the closest building collapsed in a pile of rubble. He stumbled over to the prone monster, one hand pulled back ready to deal the finishing blow, when it started laughing, thick black blood bubbling between its lips.

"You think a sword and a little bit of sorcery will kill me?" it hissed, grasping the blade protruding from its neck and pulling it out. "I have existed since time itself and your petty tricks are nothing I have not endured a hundred times before. Even the most powerful of your Druids could only contain me within that pathetic box. You cannot kill a creature of the Veil."

"Well, I think I'd like to give it a try anyway," Merlin growled, picking it up with his magic and flinging it into the rubble of the collapsed building like a rag-doll.

There was a scrabbling sound behind him and a pathetic moaning that sounded like it should have been his name. He glanced over his shoulder and his heart leapt to see Arthur crawling in his direction. Forgetting his opponent, he stumbled over to his prone friend and dropped to his knees beside him.

"Let me look," he ordered, turning Arthur over and shifting his chainmail out the way as much as he could. What he saw made his stomach clench in despair. Arthur's ribs were jutting out of the gash in his side and from the his laboured breathing and the way the bones shifted under his skin, Merlin could see that his entire ribcage was shattered. Groaning, the king pushed his hands away feebly. "No, let me look!"

"St-op!" Arthur cried, blood pouring from his mouth. "Nothing...you can do."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Merlin said, slipping one hand under Arthur's head and laying the other hand gently on his friend's ruined chest. "Licsar ge staðol nu!" Nothing happened and he took a deep breath, ready to try again. "Efencume, ætgædre, eala gastas cræft ige, gestrice þis lic forod!" Again, his magic refused to respond and tears of frustration welled in his eyes. He was meant to be the most powerful warlock in existence but he couldn't use it to save the reason he had it in the first place. "Come on, please!" he begged but for this purpose his magic remained inert.

"Useless...idiot," Arthur mumbled affectionately. He groaned again and gripped Merlin's hand. "When you...get home...look after Gwen...for me."

"Arthur don't do this, please!"

"You're...a good...friend," he murmured, grimacing as it shifted his shattered ribs. "Thank you."

His hand loosed it's grip, his eyes slipped closed and his whole body went limp. Merlin shook his head in denial, tears blurring his vision. "No you don't. Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ!" Nothing. "Come on, Arthur, come _on_! Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ!"

All of a sudden his magic kicked in and he felt it literally pour out of him, knitting shattered bone and broken flesh back together. Within seconds his friend recovered his healthy complexion, the gaping hole in his side disappeared and his chest rose and fell with ease. Abruptly, Arthur sat up and spat out the blood still in his mouth.

"Well," he said flatly, "that was unexpected."

* * *

**A/N: Spells were found on the Wiki page - a very useful list of all the spells ever used in the show!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello all. Sorry about the length of time it's taken for me to update, I was away without a computer. So thanks to **readernurse** and **ReverieIndigo** for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! I promise not to leave it so long to update the next chapter!**

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**Chapter 6**

"Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed happily, restraining himself from giving the king a hug. Arthur never had been one for physical displays of affection.

"You saved my life," Arthur said as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"Told you," retorted Merlin, helping to pull his master to his feet, wincing as the action pulled on his own injuries.

"Why don't you help yourself?"

"Better not to push my luck," he grinned. "Healing magic isn't really my thing."

"Where did it go?" the king asked, looking around for the creature.

"Dead," Merlin pointed to the black heap in the rubble.

Arthur couldn't help the impressed look that flashed across his features. "Well, in that case shall we get Gwaine and get out of here?" It wasn't really a question and he set off in the direction of the barn but quickly came to a halt.

At the end of the village, crossing the bridge there was a familiar flash of red and silver glinting in the moonlight. The hulking figure of Oswald lurched towards them, his gait slightly off and his shoulders unnaturally hunched.

"Morsels!" he cried, his voice a rasping mix of the creature and Oswald. "I told you, you cannot kill me with your little magic."

Arthur raised his eyebrows in disapproval at Merlin. "I though you said it was dead."

"It was!"

"I am a creature of the Veil, I am immortal and everlasting. This morsel was weak of mind, so easy to corrupt. If you kill this body I shall simply find another. Your pet cannot stop me," it chuckled, Oswald's features shifting strangely. "Your pet will be mine."

Merlin thought fast. He had little or no experience of creatures from the Veil, other than they appeared to have strange abilities. But he knew one thing about the Veil and it was about the only thing he had left to try. Taking a deep breath, he picked up Arthur's sword with his magic and dropped it in front of it's owner.

"Take that and wait here," he ordered.

Arthur picked the sword up but shook his head. "I thought you'd worked it out by now, Merlin. I give the orders."

"Arthur. Stay here."

The king was taken aback by the force and power in his servant's voice. He was almost offended but the flash of gold the younger man's eyes convinced him to do as requested. That and the fact his feet were now stuck fast to the ground.

Merlin took a two paces forward and heaved the creature high into the air with his magic, turned it around and slammed it head first into the ground. There was a sickening dull crunch as it impacted the floor but despite the damage it chuckled through the wreckage of Oswald's face for a few seconds. Merlin took another few steps forward and waited. Suddenly, the chuckling was abruptly cut of and with a great sigh, a black mist flowed from the dead knight's broken mouth, whirling up and forming a loose shape of a huge wolf with massive horns.

"Come on then," Merlin mumbled to himself. "Come on."

It took two bounding strides and leapt at Merlin and enveloped him, forcing its way into him through his eyes, nose and mouth. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest, mouth open in a silent scream. But his eyes shifted from gold to dark red.

Arthur watched in horror as the creature overpowered his friend. He yelled his name but the only response was his feet suddenly being freed. He stumbled over and threw himself down next to the young sorcerer, heedless of any danger.

"Merlin!" He reached out and shook his friend's shoulder.

Merlin's eyes snapped open, his irises swirling and shifting gold, blue and red. "Arthur...It's in here with me. It's trying to - " he broke off and clutched his head, crying out in pain. "Kill me! You have to kill me!" he ground out between clenched teeth.

"What? No!" Arthur shook his head.

"Please, Arthur, you have to listen to me!" Merlin reached out and placed his hands on Arthur's shoulders, "It's a Blood Sacrifice, that's what - agh! - that's what we need to send the creature back to the Veil. I can't keep hold of it much longer...Kill me!"

"No!" shouted Arthur. "I can't kill you."

"You have to. All it...All it needs is my power and then it will be free! Think what will happen if it -" he gasped, "if it reaches Camelot, if it gets hold of Gwen!"

The thought of the creature anywhere near his wife made Arthur feel sick but then so did the thought of executing his friend. He couldn't help shaking his head again. For some reason his vision had gone blurry and it looked like Merlin had a understanding smile on his face, which Arthur wished he would just wipe off, because right now he didn't need understanding, he needed a plan. A plan that did not involve murdering his friend.

"Please, Arthur, I can see what it will do...don't let it use me for this!"

The pleading broke through to him. Merlin truly believed this was the only way and he did not want to turn into the monster that had preyed on them these last few days. Calling on all of his willpower, Arthur picked up his sword and stood, placing the tip of the blade in the hollow between Merlin's neck and collarbone. He had to blink a few times to get his vision straight.

"Thank you," Merlin sighed. Arthur looked down and met his eyes, still rippling with different colours. "You're my best friend, Arthur. I hope you can forgive me for the magic."

Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat and suppressed a sob. The damn idiot was apologising to him even with his sword to his throat! This was crazy. There had to be a better way, another plan that would work.

"I'm not going to do this."

"I'm a sorcerer and a liar and you are just upholding the laws of your country."

"You're like my brother, idiot," he replied, realising the reason his vision looked watery was because he was crying.

"Then set me free!" Merlin pleaded. "I would rather die by your hand than lose myself to this vile filth."

And that was it. Whether he wanted to face it or not, Merlin was lost to him no matter what he did. The creature would eventually overwhelm him and then everything would be destroyed. Merlin was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if Arthur was willing to do the same. And really he had no right to refuse his best friend's last request.

Taking a steadying breath, he tightened the grip on the hilt of his sword and took one last look at Merlin's face. For a brief moment, his irises settled to his natural blue and he gave Arthur a reassuring smile before letting his eyes slip closed.

Gathering his strength, he exhaled once and drove the sword down with all the force and power he possessed.

* * *

**Sorry - another cliff hanger!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Right, next chapter. Thanks to **tehcharissard**, **Josh4eva3** (heh, I'm glad it's keeping you guessing!), **ReverieIndigo**, **lordstarlight**, **serialblogger** (don't worry about long reviews, I was really pleased to see you enjoyed the last chapter so much!), and **readernurse** (again, thanks for the long review and your kind words about my writing style!) for their reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

It was a good stroke, Merlin and the creature held within him, were both dead before the sword was halfway through the young man's body and a deep rumbling started in the ground, working its way up, rattling the surrounding buildings until it there was a pulse like a thunderclap, as a shockwave exploded outwards from Merlin's body and covered the whole village.

Arthur roared with anguish and anger, the cross-guard of the hilt slamming into the dead man's shoulder, and he sank to his knees still gripping his sword, his knuckles white. The moment he felt his friend's life leave his body, something had broken inside him, like part of him had just gone. There was a bond between them and he had destroyed it, with his own hands and his own sword.

He had no idea how long he knelt there but slowly he became aware of someone calling his name and a low keening noise, which after a moment he was ashamed to realised came from him. He raised his head and saw Gwaine charging towards him, yelling his name. He was still holding on to his sword with a death-grip and forced himself to let go, catching Merlin's limp body and laying it down gently.

Gwaine skidded to his knees on the other side of Merlin's body, shock and disbelief written on his face. "What did you do, Arthur?" he demanded. "What did you do?"

Unable to find his voice, Arthur just shook his head, sitting back in the snow and resting his head in his hands. They were covered in blood. Merlin's blood. It was more than he could comprehend.

"Arthur!" Gwaine leaned over and shoved him hard and that spurred him out of his daze.

"It tried to possess him," he explained haltingly though his blood-stained fingers. "He begged me to do it."

"So you did? Are you insane?" the knight shouted. "He was in trouble so you just put him down like a dog?"

The king said nothing, keeping his head buried in his hands and Gwaine glared at him, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Neither man heard the muffled hoof-beats approaching until horse and rider were almost upon them. Gwaine jumped up ready for action, although he was unarmed; Arthur did not move a muscle.

The rider reined in his horse and jumped out the saddle, pushing the hood of his dark cloak back, revealing a young boy with a pale face, long black hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes. He looked at Merlin's lifeless body dispassionately for an instant before appraising the motionless king next to the corpse.

"Who are you?" demanded Gwaine, taking a threatening step forward. The stranger looked over at him and gave him a lazy grin as his eyes shone a blazing gold, and Gwaine found his feet firmly stuck to the ground. "Sorcerer!" he spat.

"Look at me," the boy ordered Arthur, his tone brooking no argument. Slowly the king raised his head and met the sorcerer's eyes. "Do you remember me, Arthur Pendragon?"

There was something, Arthur decided, familiar about the newcomer. It was the eyes, although the face was different, those eyes were hard to forget. The boy's identity came to him from the flash of a long disregarded event.

"Mordred," he whispered. "Why are you here?"

The boy smirked. "I came to see the great Emrys laid low." At Arthur's confused expression, he bowed slightly, "Oh, forgive me, _Merlin_."

Fury shot through Arthur and he sprang to his feet. "He saved your life! And you're happy about this?"

"Oh, settle down, Arthur," Mordred smirked and with another flash, the king's feet were as firmly held in place as Gwaine's. "You didn't know this man. You have no idea of the things he has done."

"I know he died to protect my kingdom," Arthur growled.

Mordred threw his head back and laughed cruelly. "You see? Even now you misunderstand his motives. He didn't do this to save your _kingdom_, he did it to save _you_." He took a calm step forward and gently prodded Merlin's leg with his foot, ignoring Arthur and Gwaine's cries of complaint. "There is nothing, _nothing_ he would not do, no crime he would not commit, no friend he would not betray, to save you."

"That's not true," snarled Arthur. "He was a good man and the most loyal person I have ever known."

Mordred sighed as if he was speaking to a particularly stupid child. "Of course you would think that, did I not just say his life was dedicated to you? You will never know what it is to be betrayed by him," he gave Gwaine a sideways glance. "But you will."

"I don't believe that," Gwaine responded angrily. "He was my best friend."

"He is everyone's friend until it comes to a choice between his 'friends' and Arthur Pendragon." Mordred shrugged, "You just wait." He sighed theatrically, turning his attention to Merlin. "To think of all the times I wished for this very moment and now here I am having to fix it. This is not what destiny intended."

"What?" Arthur exclaimed, hope flaring in his chest. "Can you help him?"

"I have the ability to Mirror Life and Death," Mordred admitted, "but the balance of the world always requires a sacrifice - a life for a life."

"You can have mine!" Was the response from both men and Mordred shook his head, curling his lip in disgust. "I do not require your death, Arthur Pendragon. Not yet," the boy stated solemnly. "There have been enough deaths here that were not necessary, their lives will be enough to buy back his. But first, let's remove that sword, hmm?"

As the young sorcerer leaned over to take hold of the blade, Arthur suddenly knew he must not touch, never mind take possession of, the sword. Why he had no idea but he knew it, felt it to his core. The sword was _his_.

"No!" he cried, dropping to his knees awkwardly, his ankles twisting painfully as his feet refused to move. "I'll do it. Gwaine help me."

Mordred gave him a grin that said 'you caught me' and waited as Gwaine lifted his friend far enough off the ground for Arthur to get a decent grip of the hilt and draw the blade free. Once they lay Merlin back down, Mordred knelt beside him, his eyes closed and uttered a string of words that meant nothing to the young king; he placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder and opened his eyes, the irises burning a molten gold. An instant later, his eyes returned to their piercing blue and with an almost tender expression, he ran a hand through the prone man's hair.

"Farewell, Emrys," he whispered, standing up. He walked over to his horse and pulled himself into the saddle, reining the horse's head around. "When he awakes tell him the next time we meet, I will take that which he holds most dear." With that he kicked his heels back and disappeared into the lightening horizon


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, here we go, we're coming up to the end now, not too much left to go. Thanks to **Bailieboro **(Heh, yeah, there's just so much bad stuff that could happen to these guys)****, **readernurse** (I'd glad you enjoyed the chapter so much and Mordred, I quite enjoyed writing him), **Ash9**, and the **Guest** reviewer (I'm not too sure what you thought was strange about Mordred having that ability - I'm fairly sure he is meant to be Merlin's direct opposite, but thank you anyway).**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 8**

As he slowly became aware of warmth and soft blankets, beneath it there was a dull ache located somewhere around his torso but it was more of a irritation than a anything. Somewhere to his left people were talking quietly, mumbling, he guessed, in deference to his sleeping state although the voices slowly started to become more raised as he listened.

"...And they're asking where you are again." That was Gwen.

"And you can tell them that you're queen and you have authority to make any and all decisions in my absence." That could only be Arthur. He sounded weary and frustrated.

"That's just it, Arthur, you're not absent. You're here." Gwen sounded sympathetic but equally frustrated.

"Although why, I have no idea." Gwaine's voice was quiet but resentful.

"And here is where I'll be until he wakes up," Arthur sighed deeply. "Fine. If he's not awake by tomorrow, I'll come to the meeting."

"That's what you said yesterday," Gwen replied affectionately. There was a pause and then some more mumbled words and the sound of a door opening and closing.

Silence descended on the room and slowly he drifted back under.

* * *

Sometime later he resurfaced, this time more fully. The ache in his chest was more insistent although still little more than an annoyance. The real discomfort came from something heavy crushing his left foot, which he discovered, after carefully cracking his eyes open, was Arthur's feet. The king was slouched in a small chair, reading a book with his feet stretched out, resting heavily on his servant's foot. A little further back, in another small chair Gwaine was asleep, his head at an uncomfortable angle. Trying to squeeze two people into his tiny room was absurd, there was barely any space between the chairs and he wasn't sure the door would open beyond a crack. How on earth Gwen had managed to fit in earlier, he had no idea.

Pulling his foot away, he pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Is that a book?" he asked incredulously, his voice hoarse from disuse. Arthur nearly dropped the book in surprise and put his feet back on the floor with a loud 'thud'. The noise startled Gwaine awake and he was out of his chair, looking around bleary-eyed.

"Merlin!" Arthur cried and Merlin was slightly surprised to hear both relief and happiness in his master's voice. Surprise turned to shock when he found himself engulfed in a crushing hug. It was the first hug the king had ever given him and caught him so off guard that it took a second for him to return the gesture. Arthur pulled back after a few moments, looking pleased but firmly back in control of his emotions and then Merlin was pulled into Gwaine's enthusiastic hug, which he automatically returned.

The commotion was enough to bring Gaius into the room, interrupting Gwaine as he asked how Merlin was feeling, and sending Arthur and Gwaine out, the latter leaving fairly meekly while the former looked rebellious but nonetheless obeyed. Another hug, a short interrogation after his health and a comprehensive examination of his wounds later and Gaius declared him well on-the-mend. His guardian gave him a fatherly pat on the arm and left, Arthur passing him in the doorway as he did.

This time the king looked sombre and serious with no hint of his previous good mood. Merlin felt anxiety build as he watched Arthur take a seat in the chair he'd been in earlier and lean forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"What do you remember?" the king asked.

Merlin swallowed nervously. The honest answer was everything. The terror of the creature's first attack, the abominable fate of the villagers, the careless revelation of his magic and the final battle with the creature, all of it was clear and crisp in his memory. But leaving the physical damage he had suffered at the beast's hands, it was the fact that Arthur knew about his magic that caused fear to suddenly blossom in his chest. His master may have seemed accepting back in Grey Marsh, when their lives were in mortal danger but now, safe back in Camelot, his father's laws at the forefront of his mind, had he decided there was only one possible outcome? No. That didn't make sense. He'd died. He'd given his life so the creature would be banished back to the Veil and, he hoped, destroy the barrier preventing his friends leaving. The image of Arthur standing over him, his sword digging into his neck and the sharp sudden agony as the blade broke the skin, before the blissful nothing that followed, was not one he was likely ever to forget. But if he'd died, how could be be sat in his bed with only the injuries the creature had inflicted?

"All of it," he finally answered.

Arthur nodded. "You have magic." Unable to get his voice to work, Merlin nodded hesitantly. "Why? Why would you come to Camelot and start studying magic? Are you crazy? You know what the law is here!"

Those words made his stomach drop but there was little point in hiding anything now. If Arthur had already made up his mind, then the truth would make no difference. "I didn't study it. I was born like this."

Arthur frowned and asked disbelievingly: "And you moved from Ealdor, where magic is accepted, to here, where you're very existence is illegal?"

Merlin shrugged. "It seemed a good idea at the time. I didn't think I was going to end up serving the Crown Prince of Camelot."

The king said nothing for a moment and ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head in frustration. "You should have told me!" he said quietly but intently.

Anger flared through Merlin and he forgot he was supposed to be in fear for his life. Sometimes Arthur could be such a arrogant fool. Years of fear, sacrifice and loneliness, of knowing his best friend and master was duty-bound to kill him if he ever discovered his servant's true nature and suddenly he was now expected to have just told him?

"When was I supposed to do that?" The words exploded from him before he could think what he was saying, "When I first got to Camelot? You would have handed me over to your father in an instant. Or maybe later, after I'd convinced you not to kill your father. No? How about after Morgana stole your father's throne? Or after your father died? _When_ would you have liked me to tell you?"

Arthur looked away for an instant. "You should have _trusted_ me!"

Merlin stared at him in disbelief. "Trust you? Are you saying that if I had told you I had magic, you would have betrayed your father, disobeyed the laws you are sworn to uphold and protected me from the executioner's block?" Merlin shook his head. "Of course you wouldn't. And who am I to even ask you to? How could I ask you to set aside your oath to your father and your king?

An uncomfortable silence fell over them until finally Merlin plucked up the courage to ask: "How am I alive?"

"After you'd...well...it was the druid boy, Mordred."

"Mordred?" Merlin exclaimed. The last person he had ever expected help from was Mordred. Their last encounter had not gone well on either side and even now he could hear the boy's warning.

"He didn't want to do it but he said destiny had not intended your death and he brought you back. He told me to tell you the next time he saw you, he would take the thing you hold most dear," he paused. "What did you do to make him hate you so much? You saved him."

Merlin dropped his eyes to the bed. "I wanted to help him, he could have been me. I didn't want to believe that he was going to -" he stopped. Arthur should not have to deal with the extent to which his life was planned outside of his control. Merlin lived with such knowledge every day and it was a curse not a gift. He would not wish it on anyone. But it seemed that now Mordred was determined to kill Arthur as revenge for his betreyal. It seemed that once again, he had tried to change destiny and instead simply brought it about. "To do what he was going to do. I had to stop him."

"What was he going to do?" Arthur asked.

"It doesn't matter."

Arthur looked like he was going to say something more but decided against it. He stood suddenly and headed for the door.

"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked hesitantly. "About me?"

The king paused and turned back to his servant. "It doesn't really seem like I have much choice. You know what the law is."

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**A/N: Just as an aside, I think the bit about Merlin not remembering the hug would be right - he does say in "Servant of Two Masters" that he doesn't remember anything. If I'm wrong though, sorry.**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: OK, so this is the penultimate chapter. I'm trying to tidy things up so I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to **Reverie Indigo**, **Kitty O**, **Misthea** (I've not published anything else yet but I've got some stuff waiting), and **serial blogger** (lol, no, it's fine, I liked him too! Yeah, I've enjoyed your long reviews, it's nice to know you've really enjoyed the chapter!).**

**Also, can I say, the BBC official trailer made me very excited!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The BBC, on the other hand, owns everything.**

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**Chapter 9**

Merlin watched his master leave the room and slid down in his bed, numb and broken. Gaius stuck his head around the door to see if he was all right and retreated once Merlin assured him he was. Right now, the warlock really could not deal with explaining to his guardian why he would soon either have to escape Camelot or accept the execution his erstwhile friend was planning.

It was a cruel twist of fate that he had willingly died at Arthur's hands a few short days ago, only to be brought back to face death again, this time because Arthur's laws demanded it rather than to any purpose. Merlin truly believed that the king did not want him dead, his honestly joyful reaction when Merlin woke up told him as much, but when it came down to it, the king had chosen duty over friendship. Although there were many ways in which Arthur was different to his father, his stance on magic could not be changed. It was the mainstay of his father's reign and Merlin was not surprised he felt a duty to maintain the law - anything else would seem like a betrayal of everything his father had stood for. Still, it cut deeply to know that his friend would execute him, even if he didn't derive any satisfaction from it.

So it appeared he had a choice: he could either await his execution, or take this opportunity to escape and save himself. Maybe that was Arthur's intention all along, after all, most sorcerers would have been moved to the cells by now or at very least be placed under heavy guard. Perhaps his warning and lack of security were his attempt to save his servant even if he could not officially sanction such an action.

Merlin lay considering his options and the fruitless waste of his life for hours. When Gwen and Gwaine visited him towards the evening, he just pretended to sleep. He did not want to have to either lie to them or provide them with the explanations they most likely wanted. Gwen especially, probably knew his secret by now; he could not imagine Arthur keeping such a thing from his wife.

Eventually he fell into an uneasy slumber, waking in the morning no more rested than when he fell asleep. This time however, Gaius came to inform him that Arthur had sent for him. The physician was clearly annoyed at having his patient forced out of his sickbed but since Merlin was no longer in any immediate danger, it would not be wise to disobey the king.

It was with a heavy heart and a sick stomach that Merlin made his way to Arthur's chambers, although he was grateful that there were no guards sent to escort him, nor was he summoned to the throne room. Perhaps his sentence and execution were to be kept private.

Reaching the king's chambers, Merlin took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders before pushing open the door and stepping inside. Arthur was stood looking at some documents, wearing his chain-mail, which had been polished to a bright sheen, his thick fur-lined cloak and his crown. Merlin couldn't help the way seeing Arthur dressed in his ceremonial garb made his fear ratchet up another notch. He lingered nervously just inside the room, waiting for the king to notice him.

After what seemed like an eternity, Arthur finally looked over at him, his expression unreadable. "You look terrible," he said, disapprovingly.

It was a bit unreasonable of Arthur to think that living with inevitable execution hanging over his head was not going to take its toll but he decided that antagonising the king would not help his case. If he even had a case to help.

"Sorry."

"Never mind. I know you probably shouldn't be out of bed but I wanted to get this done as soon as possible." Merlin nodded reluctantly, unable to speak his mouth was so dry. "Hand me my sword."

He picked up the sword from the nearby table and took a few faltering steps over to his master. Arthur took the weapon and buckled it around his waist. "Come on then," he said, taking a few steps towards the door.

Merlin fell in behind him, although his legs were so heavy it felt like he was wading through a bog. Arthur came to a sudden halt and Merlin nearly crashed into him but somehow managed to avoid doing so, although the sharp movement pulled painfully on his injuries, and he watched in utter confusion as Arthur went to the wardrobe and pulled out his newly repaired spare cloak, draping it carelessly over his servant's shoulders.

"Honestly, Merlin, get some better clothes. It really isn't the done thing to keep borrowing mine." The king strode out the room and, completely bewildered, Merlin followed close behind.

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Merlin followed Arthur in silence through the palace and out to the balcony overlooking the courtyard. A large crowd had gathered expectantly in the courtyard below, jostling each other and chatting amongst themselves, with the knights stood ready to restore order if necessary. Despite the cold, the citizens of Camelot were in high spirits, they were safe and protected from violence, hunger and the weather. There were few commoners who could ask for more during such a harsh winter.

Gwen was already stood on the balcony, looking regal and confident. Arthur stood next to her brushing his hand against hers before looking out over the crowd. As soon as the people caught sight of their beloved king, they fell respectfully silent and waited to hear what he had to tell them. Merlin felt a brief moment of pride that his friends had become such loved rulers but the feeling was quickly replaced by the gut churning anxiety that had begun when Arthur had reiterated the law on magic. Although he had to take some comfort from the fact that this was not how any of the executions he had witnessed under Uther's rule had started. That and there was no executioner's block, gallows or pyre. There was still Arthur's very sharp sword however. Quietly he made his way to the corner at the back of the balcony - whatever the reason for the king bringing him here, the crowd wanted to see their king and queen and as a servant he should not be seen. He was oblivious to the fact that most of Camelot's citizens were used to seeing him next to their king while they bickered like siblings.

"Citizens of Camelot," Arthur began, "more than twenty years ago, this kingdom was slowly being torn apart from within. Those with magic abused their power and corruption ran deep throughout the heart of our country. My father took a firm stance against this corruption, deeming magic and any who practised it to be in contravention of the law, punishable by the harshest of penalties." Merlin couldn't help the panic that bubbled up in his chest but he remained firmly rooted to the spot, after all there was little point in running now. "It was this law and my father's determination to wipe out any hint of corruption or evil, that made this kingdom strong." Arthur paused, taking a deep breath. "But such harsh restrictions have not wiped out magic, or those who use it. Even now, there will be those amongst you who have magic, or have friends or loved-ones with it." People in the crowd below started to look at each other nervously. Even an innocent association with a sorcerer could lead to imprisonment or, worse, execution.

"Before the responsibility for this kingdom fell to me," Arthur continued, "I once told my father that I had a sense of the Camelot I wished to live in. A just kingdom, where the punishment fit the crime. But in recent years, I have to ask myself if it is truly just to punish people for a crime they have not committed, and if magic is inherently evil or it is simply abused by evil people.

"I must admit, that I have seen magic used to hurt and harm more than I have seen it used for good, but I _have_ seen it used for good. There have been times when, without my consent or request, magic has been used to save my life. Therefore, with that knowledge, I cannot in good conscience continue to punish people who have never committed any real crime, other than being different. With that in mind, I am rescinding the law banning magic." A shocked gasp rose from the crowd and even some of the knights lost their composure, looking up at the balcony and their king in disbelief. Arthur held up a hand for silence.

"I declare the war on magic to be over!"


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here is the last chapter everyone! Thanks to **Kitty O**, **Ash9**, and **readernurse** (I had it in my mind that Arthur was so oblivious, that he just didn't notice Merlin was worried. It's something I can imagine him doing!) for your reviews. Also, another thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favourited and followed this story in general, I've had great fun.** **Anyway, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the BBC does.**

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**Chapter 10**

Merlin stood agape with disbelief as Arthur turned away from the crowd and returned to the palace. He knew he should follow but his feet would not move. It was finally over. He no longer had to hide who and what he was, he could be honest with his friends and use his abilities openly.

There was a gentle tug on his arm and he looked over, surprised to see Gwen smiling softly at him. "It's time to go inside, Merlin."

He nodded dumbly and followed her hesitantly. The king was waiting for them inside, his crown and cloak discarded on a nearby table. Gwen patted Merlin on the shoulder and said they would talk later; she brushed past her husband, squeezing his hand as she did. Within moments king and servant were left alone, staring at each other steadily. Suddenly, Merlin took a swift pace forward, flinging his arms around the king in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Arthur!" he said intensely. Arthur accepted his hug tolerantly, patting his back gently, waiting for him to get hold of himself. After a several seconds, Merlin pulled back sheepishly. "Sorry."

"You lied to me," Arthur stated evenly.

"I did. I'm sorry," Merlin apologised. "All I can say is I only ever tried to help you, to protect your kingdom."

"I believe you. I do," Arthur insisted at Merlin's dubious look. "Despite everything, you're a good man and having magic doesn't change that. But you_ lied_ to me."

Merlin nodded sadly and said nothing. There really was nothing to say. Yes, he might have only been trying to protect his friends and his home but it was true he had lied to them all and had from the moment he arrived in Camelot. But most of his friends might eventually forgive him, he did have a good reason for his deception and he thought that they would probably understand. Arthur, on the other hand, was another matter. He had suffered so much betrayal in recent years that he was unlikely to forgive any betrayal of trust. Especially from his own servant.

As he watched, Arthur sighed deeply and sat in a nearby chair. "I knew. I knew there was something about you, that you were never quite what you seemed. I just never considered _this _was what you were hiding, I thought maybe you were raiding the silverware."

"Stealing?" Merlin responded, annoyed. "Really?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, not really."

"Arthur, I don't understand. If you can't trust me anymore, then why change the law? Why give me and all those like me our freedom?"

"Because if _you_ have magic, then I refuse to accept that magic is inherently evil and if it is not, then executing people simply because they have it is wrong." The king ran a hand through his hair and looked away. "It's not that I don't trust you, Merlin. I do. It's that you didn't trust _me_."

"I'm sorry, Arthur," the warlock sighed. "I wanted to. Every time I saw you soften your stance on magic, I wanted to tell you. But then something would happen and it would be back to 'all magic is evil'. It's my duty to protect you - how was I supposed to do that if I was dead or banished?"

"Protect me?" Arthur exclaimed. "I don't need protecting!"

"Oh yes," said Merlin, nodding, "you do. You are going to be the greatest king this world has ever seen. Your name will be remembered and revered centuries from now. That is your destiny. Mine is to make sure that happens. Everything I am, all my power, I was given for one purpose: to serve you."

"How can you believe that but not trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

This time it was Merlin who ran a hand through his hair, frustration building in his chest. "It's so complicated, Arthur. You have no idea of the things I've done. It was always for you but some of them...How could I trust you to forgive me, when I can't forgive myself?"

"Mordred said there was nothing you wouldn't do to protect me...What have you done, Merlin?" Arthur demanded quietly.

Shaking his head, Merlin choked back tears that suddenly blurred his vision. Haltingly, he stumbled through his naive arrival in Camelot, the lies he had told to stop Arthur from killing Uther, betraying Mordred, poisoning Morgana, releasing the Great Dragon, all the way to the events of Grey Marsh. He even admitted to being Dragoon and his part in Uther's death. How his life had one single purpose and he was bound to that even if he despised some of the things he had done. How he wished that he could go back and change some of them but that in the end, he didn't matter, as long as Arthur was safe.

Throughout his confession, Arthur listened unmoving. He did not react when he heard that it was Merlin who had poisoned his sister, nor when he admitted to being a Dragonlord, nor even when he revealed that it had been his spell that had ultimately killed Uther. There was so much information, so many things that he had thought he understood but really he'd been blind to what actually happened. It had been Merlin who saved them from the undead army and later from the immortal army, who had thwarted Morgana's plans at every turn, who had known of Agravaine's true nature and tried to stop him. And in the end, it had been Merlin who had bound Morgana's magic so she could not use it against them when they finally reclaimed Camelot.

It was numbing and unbelievable. Yet, it made a terrible kind of sense. Now he could see why Merlin seemed to always know more than he really should have for a servant. Why he was always so determined to come on dangerous missions, despite being useless with a sword. And now he understood why Merlin had changed from the carefree boy he'd met all those years ago to the inexplicably loyal servant that stood before him. To do all he had done, in secret and knowing he might be killed by the very man he was sworn to protect, was almost incomprehensible.

Arthur stood suddenly, making Merlin jump and instinctively take a step backwards and lay a heavy hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We have all done things we are not proud of, Merlin, things we wish we could go back and change. But the difference between a good man and an evil one is not whether they make mistakes, but if they regret them and try to learn from them. But you need to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, Morgana made her own choices. We _all_ made our own choices." He squeezed the bony shoulder, "I forgive you. You are my best friend. My brother. Nothing can change that."

Merlin nodded and swiped a hand over his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.

Arthur pulled him in for another quick hug before pushing him towards the door. "Go on. You need to rest. I want you back at work tomorrow."

"You mean I get to keep my job?" Merlin asked, incredulously.

"What," Arthur grinned, prodding his servant ahead of him, "you think I'm going to fire you now I've discovered you're not as completely useless as I thought?"

Laughing with relief, Merlin stepped into the corridor with Arthur close behind him and was surprised when the king drew level and slung an arm over his shoulders companionably. "Oh and Merlin? If you ever lie to me like that again...I will make your life a living hell, the likes of which you cannot imagine."

"Of course, Sire," Merlin said grinning, before turning sombre once more. "Seriously, Arthur, thank you."

"You're welcome, my friend. You're welcome."

**END**

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**A/N: So there you have it! Let me know what you think, I hope it wasn't too disappointing at the end. I have a couple of ideas for a sequel, if that is something you guys might be interested in, let me know (if anyone has any ideas, please I'd love to hear them!) I also have another another story which I'll start posting soon and I'm working on a third, although that one is going slowly at the moment.**

**Anyway, thanks again!**


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